Love Matters
by cRiMiNaL.mInDs.ObSeSsIoN
Summary: One shot for my best friend! When two agents are in a car crash and stuck in dangerous temperatures, will they both survive long enough for the team to find them?


**OK so this one shot is written for my best friend Jessie because she has helped me through so much these past few months and she write me one so I thought I would return the favour. **

**Hope you all enjoy and please review. :)**

**Just realised I haven't done this on any of my stories and need to start...**

**Disclaimer- I sadly do not own criminal minds or the characters, only the plot. **

**/...**

The snow was falling, and it was falling hard. Hotch could barely see out the window and it was scaring him driving in such dangerous conditions. He knew the temperature was well below 0 and if he pulled over the engine would probably freeze over and they would be stuck.

He looked to his left to see JJ leaning against the window sleeping. They had been on a hard case and it took them over a week to catch the killer but they did. He and JJ had been to inform the latest victims family on the catching and they were so happy the man who killed their daughter would be put away and for a long time.

He smiled at how innocent JJ looked. His JJ. They had been dating for over 2 years and he was finally ready, he was going to ask JJ to marry him, tonight. It was only early in the morning and they would definitely be home for the night. He was having Penelope set everything up in their home to be prepared for when they arrived home later that evening. She was cooking a roast dinner from scratch with everything JJ loved, chicken, lamb, roast potatoes, vegetable's, but not carrots and mash potato with gravy. She was going to stock the wine cellar with JJ's favourite wine's imported from Spain and France and to top it off she was following Rossi's homemade recipe for chocolate gateau. She was also going to line the house with pink rose petals and hide the ring under the pillow for his easy access.

He had the ring on him and was going to smuggle it to her while they were finishing off paper work. He fingered the ring in his pocket and smiled to himself. He had the perfect job, the perfect son, and the perfect girlfriend who would soon become the perfect wife.

He shook his thoughts away and focused back on the road. The road was getting thick with ice and it made him have an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

They were 30 minutes from the precinct and he was sure they would get there in time and in one piece. He hoped anyway.

/….

They had been driving for another 10 minutes when the car started sliding out of control and was violently thrown from the road. The car tumbled down a hill bouncing of tree's until it came to a halt. The SUV hung from two tree's loosely and Hotch hung to the side unconscious un-aware of the dangerous cold air seeping in through the broken window.

JJ woke up first. She was blinded by the bright winter sunlight until her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. _What happened? _

She tried to move her head but cried out in pain from the stiffness in her neck.

"Aaron.." She tried to call out but no response came. She could feel the cold nipping at her and knew they didn't have long to survive in the condition.

"Aaron please wake up" JJ heard a grown and sighed happily knowing he was alive.

"JJ.."

"Aaron are you OK" She winced when she tried to move her neck again but couldn't get it more than a 10 degree turn.

"Yeah hold on a sec" Hotch fiddled with his belt and managed to get it undone. JJ heard the click and knew he had got out. She heard smashing of glass then a loud thump. Before she knew it Hotch was on her side of the car prying the door open. She could see him out of the corner of her eye and felt a sudden relief fill her that she knew he was moving and not hurt in a serious way.

"JJ I am going to smash the window open OK"

"Yeah.." She closed her eyes and heard the glass smash and then the door open. She shivered as the new cold covered her body.

"I know it's cold. I have blankets in the back and I will cover you up"

"No. You need to stay warm to" JJ cried out again when she tried to move her head. Hotch was by her side in seconds and held her hand.

"JJ where does it hurt"

"My.. My neck" JJ breathed heavily through the pain. Hotch climbed in front of her and gasped at her neck. The seat belt had cut into it very deep on the side and some of her clothes were ripped so she was very exposed.

"JJ I am going to undo your seat belt and move you to the back. It might hurt a little OK" She nodded slightly and closed her eyes ready for it. He took in a deep breath and un clipped the belt. He pulled is slowly till it came to her neck where he carefully pulled it from the wound. JJ clenched her teeth together groaning from the pain. She released the breathe when she felt the pressure on her neck lift slightly. She felt Hotch pick her up and she was laid in the back of the car. She opened her eyes to see her beautiful boyfriend sitting next to her.

"Get some sleep. I will still be here when you wake up" Hotch pushed a strand of hair that was on her face behind her ear and smiled. She was too tired to argue and nodded. She closed her eyes and fell into a restless and painful sleep.

/…

Hotch watched JJ sleep. They had been stranded for an hour and a half and the temperature was slowly decreasing. Soon it would be at a dangerous level and JJ would be very vulnerable to death. She was at a critical condition even now. Every second she slept there was more of a chance she just wouldn't wake up. He could feel his eyes dropping as the coldness started to take effect on him but he forced himself to stay awake. He was not going to leave JJ. He took a good look at her and sighed; she was wrapped up in 5 blankets to keep her as warm as possible, one blanket was tightly wrapped around her wound to keep it less exposed, her lips were turning a light shade of blue matching her paper white cheeks and her teeth were chattering away beneath her mouth. Hotch smiled to himself as he looked to her.

_How come she looks so beautiful even in this state. I am the luckiest guy alive._

Hotch was lost in his thoughts as he didn't notice JJ begin to wake. She looked to him seeing his smile and smirked.

"What are you smiling at" She asked snapping him out of his haze.

"Just that I am the luckiest guy ever because I have the most stunning girlfriend ever" Hotch grinned at the blush that crept to JJ's cheeks.

"Well I'm not all cute right now am I" JJ retorted making Hotch frown.

"To me you are" JJ just scoffed then regretted it when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She groaned in pain grabbing Hotch's attention. He grabbed her hands as she kept a tight grip passing through the moment. She panted as the sudden movement took all the energy from her. She looked to him again and frowned at how tired he looked.

"Go to sleep. Don't try and argue because if you won't accept a blanket you could at least accept this. I'm a little scared to go back to sleep anyway" JJ looked away trying not to show the tears fighting to fall.

"JJ.."

"No Aaron. It doesn't look good for me and you know it so please stop" JJ looked back as a tear fell from her eye. Hotch sighed and nodded.

"Wake me in half an hour OK" She nodded and let him sleep, him not knowing what she had planned. Before he could get comfy she spoke up, trying not to act obvious.

"I love you, you know that right"

"Yeah, and I love you too" She allowed him to plant a light but passionate kiss on her lips before falling asleep.

"I know you do.." She whispered to herself before pulling out Hotch's phone. She knew they had no reception but JJ had different plans.

/…

After 2 hours Hotch woke up feeling very stiff. He saw the bright sun shining through the frosted tree's and frowned.

_How long did JJ let me sleep for?_

He sat up, wincing at the pain in his back. Suddenly a thought hit him. He looked down to see himself wrapped in the blankets he rightly remembered JJ being wrapped in. sudden panic over took him as he looked to see JJ sound asleep next to him, covered in only the blanket on her neck.

"JJ.." He threw the blankets from him and knelt in front of her. He could hear her shallow breaths and panicked when she didn't wake up.

"JJ please wake up…" He shook her slightly but she was out cold. He heard a small thud and looked down to see his phone which had fell from JJ's grasp.

_Why did JJ have my phone? _

He picked it up and slid it back into his pocket putting his focus back on JJ. Before he went to try and wake her again he heard muffled shouting from outside the car. He got out and looked around shouting,

"Hello" He heard more muffled shouts getting louder. He knew exactly who it was and felt a grin appear on his face.

"Dave? Derek? Guys I'm down here" He heard more sounds then he saw Morgan emerge from the trees followed by Dave then Reid.

"God Aaron are you both OK" Dave went up to him while Morgan went straight to the car.

"I am fine it's JJ I'm worried about. She had blankets on her when she let me fall asleep but when I woke up they were all on me and I'm scared that she.." Hotch was rambling on when it hit him. He knew exactly why she had his phone, why all the blankets were on him instead of her, she was killing herself to save him and who knew how long she had been like that.

"Dave we need to get her looked at now" Rossi clicked on immediately and instructed Morgan to carry her up to the paramedics. Everything after that went in slow motion.

JJ was lifted into an ambulance with Hotch and it drove off to the hospital. The team didn't need to think twice before hopping in the car and speeding after them to the hospital, all praying that JJ would be OK.

/…

The team sat on around Hotch's hospital bed waiting for news of JJ. They all knew what she had done for Hotch and respected her for being so brave even when she was in the toughest situation, yet they all knew that they had arrived too late and JJ's chances of living were very slim.

"She left me a note.." Hotch broke the silence as he stared straight ahead of him, completely heart broken.

"What do you mean" Penelope wiped a stray tear from her face and looked to her friend, hating seeing him so broke. She had flown in the second they went missing completely ignoring Hotch's orders about setting there house up. She had ran out the house so fast she broke her heeled shoes.

"In the car while I was asleep she got my phone and left me a memo.." Hotch passed Penelope his phone and looked to his hands. She looked shocked for a moment before he spoke again.

"Read it, I don't mind" She looked to the others before unlocking the phone. She looked to him again and he replied to her look in saying,

"Out loud" She nodded and began reading…

_This is not how I wanted to go. I never thought you guys would lose me to a car, I always thought it would be old age, maybe a disease, or even an unsub, but no, a car never crossed my mind. You are probably sitting there thinking about how stupid I was to not listen to Aaron and keep the blankets because funny enough, they were the things keeping me alive, but I wanted you to know that if I went back in time and was still in that position, I would not change a single thing I did. I want you all to know that I would give myself up to protect all of you in a heartbeat. I would never think twice before making the decision, even more so that the person with me was in fact my fiancé. It's weird saying that, fiancé. I found the ring in Aarons pocket when I got the phone and that made me realise that I have lived the perfect life. I had the perfect job, with the perfect friends, and the best boyfriend anyone could ask for. I wish that I could have lived to see that ring being placed on my finger but we all have decisions to make, and I chose mine with no regret. I want to tell you all that you mean more than the air I breath to me. Spence, my baby brother, I'm really going to miss your rambling and random fact sprees. You are the little brother I never had. Derek, my man Derek, you were my knight in shining armour and I will watch over you as you did for me over the years. Dave, you are the father I never had and I will always appreciate what you did for me. You brought me to the best job, were I met the best people. Emily, my best friend, my sister. I have no idea where I would be without you, you changed me, in a good way, and you made me the person I am today. You taught me that life matters and that I should never take anything for granted, I hope I lived up to your lesson good enough. My girl Pen, boy the stuff I could write about you. You as well as Emily is my sister and I always picture Roz being just like you, cheery, bubbly, and the most energetic person known to man. You reminded me so much of her and I'm sure that she would have love you just as much as I did. She would have loved you all. And Aaron, my sweet Aaron, I want you to go home and hold Jack and kiss him for me and tell him that I am watching over him for the rest of his life. Tell him that no matter what he meant the world to me and I was so lucky that I had him and you to come home to every night. I love you so much Aaron and don't you ever forget that. I will save a seat on the porch for you when you join me in years to come. Look after our grandchildren and tell them stories of our past and show them that it is everything to love and that they should find that right person and treat them how you treated me, like they are the only person in the world, because that is what you did for me and I appreciate that you took time to bring me into your life. All of you did that, you excepted me and I am forever greatful. Stay strong my crime fighters and I will always be there when you need a helping hand because love matters, love matters more than anything…_

After that the nurse came in and well, those 10 words will haunt them for the rest of their lives,

_"__I'm so sorry for your lose, she didn't make it" _

Love matters, and the team held on to that, through the rest of their lives together knowing there angle was watching them, and waiting.


End file.
